Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Fates of atmospheric reactive nitrogen (N) mainly contain foliar absorption of gaseous N, deposition in emission regions, and transportation out of emission regions, which determines their eco-environmental and climatic effects. However, it has long been challenging to estimate fractions and fluxes of reactive N fates in the atmosphere. Here we quantified regional ammonium-N and nitrate-N deposition in North America, Europe, and East Asia based on moss N contents and natural N isotopes. In combination with regional N emissions and foliar absorption rates of N gases, we further constrained major fates (deposition, foliar absorption, and export) of N emissions in the above regions. We found that 72% ± 15%, 59% ± 8%, and 72% ± 11% of N emissions (15.7 ± 4.3, 25.5 ± 5.3, and 28.0 ± 6.1 kg-N/ha/year) deposited back to three study regions, respectively. Having larger N emissions and deposition, Europe and East Asia also had larger exports (5.9 ± 5.9 and 4.2 ± 6.4 kg-N/ha/year, respectively) than those of North America (0.6 ± 4.8 kg-N/ha/year). Adding the area-weighted N emissions in three regions together, about 2/3 of N emissions deposited back to land, 1/6 was absorbed by plant leaves, and the remaining 1/6 was transported out of three regions. This work provides a unique method for unlocking processes of land-air N exchanges and useful evidence for evaluating effects of regional atmospheric N pollution.
Source: Global Change Biology
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70664
Authors: Yu‐Ping Dong, Xue‐Yan Liu
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: G5246493642, 大气-苔藓-土壤中硝酸根的氮氧同位素变化机制研究
OpenAlex ID: W7117306805